


You Say Such Sweet Nothings

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [5]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, Stalking, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, hunter lipton, hunter winters, unbearable flirting, vampire nix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 10:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18939058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: Lipton is pretty sure he's being stalked by a demon who's out for his soul.  And Dick is having a hard enough time navigating the romantic advances of the vampire Lewis Nixon--he doesn't have time for demons.





	You Say Such Sweet Nothings

**Author's Note:**

> Why is it so easy for me to write flirty Lewis Nixon?

 

 

“Hey, Harry,” Carwood greeted, phone cradled between his ear and shoulder.  “How are things?  How’s Kitty?”

Harry sighed, the sound full of exasperation and love.  “Things are fine around the bar.  Kitty’s giving me sleepless nights as usual.  She’s on a salt and burn with Webster right now—we’re trying to get him some practical experience and Kitty insisted.”  Carwood could hear the sound of clanking glasses—Harry bustling around behind the bar.  “How are you guys?”

“Well, I was actually calling because we need some help.”

“Sure.  What do you need?”

“We’re going to need all the information you have on demons.”

The line was silent for a moment, then Harry said “Demons?”  A deep breath echoed down the line.  “What did the two of you get into?”

“The vampire Lewis Nixon gave us a heads up a few weeks back that someone put a hit out on me.  He said the rumors were that it was a demon that took the contract.  Dick said it was probably all just a lie, and I wasn’t too sure myself.  But something’s been following me for a few weeks now, popping up on cases as a shadow.”

“No shit?”

“Yeah.  And just a few hours ago, it showed up here, at Dick’s place.  And we got confirmation that it wasn’t the vampire.  So now we’re thinking demon.”

“Holy shit.  Are you guys safe?  Do you need me to come out there or send someone?  What do you need?”

“No, no.  We’re fine for the moment.  We’re inside, and the house is warded.  Dick’s re-salting all the windows and doors right now.  The property has some wards, but probably not strong enough.  We need to know what we’re dealing with, here.  What _are_ demons, really?  What do they want, and how do they operate?  Is there a way to kill them?  How do we protect ourselves against them?  If you could find us spells for stronger wards, we’d really appreciate that, too.”

“Alright, alright.”  Harry mumbled.  “Okay.  I’ll gather up everything we’ve got and send you a copy.  And I’ll see what Webster knows as soon as he and Kitty get back.  And…well….”

“Well?”

“There’s this guy I know.  Sort of.  Met him a couple of times.  He might be able to help with your warding problem.  He’s pretty reclusive and it might take a while to get ahold of him, but I could see if I can get in contact with him.  He might be willing to help.”

“Yeah, Harry, I’d appreciate that.  As long as it’s no trouble, alright.  I don’t want you sticking your neck out for me.”

“It’s never any trouble for you, Lip.  I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.  In the meantime, stock up on salt, iron, and holy water.”

“Will do.  Thanks Harry.”

“Sure thing.  Take care of yourself, Lip.  Dick too.”  Then the line went dead and Carwood allowed himself to lean against the wall.  It was gonna be a long night.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Midnight found Dick and Lip sitting in the middle of the living room, away from the walls, packing guns full of rock salt, bottles of holy water, and the fireplace poker which was made out of iron.  All of the windows and doors had been salted, and the ward lines in the house refreshed.  Now all there was to do was wait until Harry got back to them with some info. 

Dick could have kicked himself.  It was his fault they were in this situation right now.  If he’d just listened to Nix, or at least entertained the possibility, they could have prepared already.  Weeks ago.  It sent chills down his spine to think his best friend had been stalked for weeks by a demon and he’d done nothing about it.  Dick wasn’t sure what was worse: that Lip was being so calm and understanding, or that Nix had sounded genuinely worried and earnest on the phone.  Dick had to do better than this.

A half hour later, his phone display lit up with an unknown number.  He picked up.  “This is Dick speaking.”

“Dick,” Nix breathed, his voice less flirtatious than usual.  “You’re alive.”

Dick snorted.  “Of course I’m alive.”

“Well I didn’t know that, did I?  Last I heard, there was a demon in your yard and you hung up on me.”

Dick pulled the phone away from his ear and gave it a strange look for a moment—he was being reprimanded by a vampire, out of…concern?  His life was very weird.  “Well I’m alive.  We’re fine.  The house has wards.”

“Good.  That’s…good.”  Nix seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.  “Where are you?  I can come and help.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.  I don’t know if you forgot, Nix.  But you’re a vampire, and I’m a hunter.  Those two things don’t mix without violence.”

Nix huffed.  “Stop being so close-minded.  I don’t see why it should be a problem.  We know what the other is, so no surprises.  I promise to be a good boy, and you keep your stakes to yourself.  Sounds like a plan to me.”

“You’ve said more than once that you want to…well….”

“Yes?”  And now Nix’s voice had grown coaxing again.  “What do I want?”

“My blood.”

Nix laughed.  “Among other things, yeah.  That’s true.  But I’m also in the habit of asking nowadays.”

“That’s not a risk I’m really prepared to take.”

“Even if you gain a friend out of it?”

“A friend?”  Dick asked, incredulous.  “Is that what you are?”

“I could be, if you’d let me.”

“Why?”  Dick’s voice had softened, despite himself.

“Because you seem like a good man.  You’re fair.  You care about your friends.  You try to do what you think is right.  You spared _me_ when you didn’t have to.  I may be a vampire, but I still know the worth of people like you.”

“Flattery won’t help you.”  Dick murmured.

“It’s not flattery if it’s true.  I have a feeling you’re one in a million.”

Dick huffed, his chest suddenly feeling very heavy.  “I think I like you better when you’re flirting.”

“Well, I can arrange that.”  Nix purred.

“I appreciate the concern.  But we’re fine, Nix.”

“Before you hang up…I called on my cell.  I didn’t block it.  You have a way to reach me now.”

“I….”  Dick glanced down and realized it was true.  More than that, Nix had called him, which meant that he also had a way to get ahold of Dick.  He was surprised to realize it didn’t bother him more.  Instead, he settled on a “Thanks, Nix.”  Then, before he had time to overthink it “Have a goodnight.”

When he hung up, he found Lip eyeing him with a smirk.  “So how’s Nix?”  He asked.

Dick rolled his eyes.  “Shut up.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They must have both dozed off, because they jolted awake around 3am, to a blood-curdling scream.  Carwood and Dick both leapt to their feet, weapons clutched tightly in their hands, and they sprang toward the living room window that looked out into the front yard and across to the forest.  Another shout pierced the early-morning air, then pounding footsteps, harsh, gasping breaths, and finally, a gunshot.  A man screamed again, but it was choked off, abruptly, and then it was utterly silent outside again.

Inside, Carwood’s heart was hammering in his chest and he could hear his pulse roaring in his ears.  His hands shook.  “What….” he whispered, “What was that?”

Dick shook his head.  “I don’t know.”  He whispered back.  “I want to go look, but….”

“Maybe we should wait until morning?”

Dick glanced over at Carwood and their shoulders brushed.  “Whatever that was… the damage has been done.  We shouldn’t go past the wards until we know more.  Or at least until we can see.”

“Right.”  Carwood nodded.  He felt the urge to cross himself.  He’d heard a lot of horrific things in his time, but this one took the cake.  “You know any Latin?”

Dick shook his head.  His eyes were wide—he was just as disturbed as Carwood.  But he’d never say it.  “Not much.  But we should learn.  I’m sure Harry will send us an exorcism or something.”

“Yeah….”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Just after the sun had cleared the tops of the trees, Dick and Lip both grabbed their weapons and made their way cautiously out of the house and toward the tree-line.  They didn’t have to look far.

At the edge of the field, directly in the line of the house, a mangled body lay in the grass, bloodless except for a trickle at the corner of its mouth.  “What the hell?”  Lip said, crouching next to it.  The body belonged to a man, or what had been a man.  The body hadn’t been torn apart, but…bent.  Broken.  Almost as if every major bone in its body had been snapped.  It lay now, deformed, with pale eyes wide, and glazed over.

“Recognize him?”  Dick asked, casting his eyes between the body and the forest.

“No.”

“Well, let’s take a look.”  Dick tentatively reached out and patted down the man’s pockets.  Nothing.  His fingers brushed against the corpse’s cold skin as he turned the head this way and that, looking for any clues.  The neck had been broken.  As Dick pulled his hand back, he noticed something odd.  He reached out again and used his thumb to lift the man’s upper lip.  Fangs.  “Lip.  Look at this.”

“Huh,” Lip said, squinting.  “What do you think he is?”

“I think he’s a vampire.”  Dick said, confused even at his own assessment.

“But…?”

Struck by a curious sense of deja-vu, Dick pushed the man’s shirt sleeve up and he found an elaborate crimson “C” tattooed on the man’s bicep.  “Chicago.  Isn’t it?”  Dick asked.

Carwood nodded.  “Yeah.  That’s the mark of the Chicago coven.”

“Here.  Hand me your stake.”  Dick said, and Lip passed it over.  A second later, Dick plunged it into the body’s chest, and the man turned to dust.  “What in the world is going on?”

“Well, at least we know the rumor about the Chicago coven was true.  But… what the hell happened out here?  If that guy was a vampire…how did he die without being staked or having his head cut off?”

“And what has the strength to do…that… to a vampire?”

Lip shuddered.  “Demon?”

Dick shrugged.  “Maybe.  Let’s head back inside and give Harry another call.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

While Lip was on the phone with Harry, Dick found himself pacing back and forth in his kitchen, his thumb skimming over the warm face of his phone in his pocket, over and over.  He pursed his lips, frustrated with his own indecisiveness.  Finally, before he allowed himself to think about it too much, he pulled his phone out and opened a text message.  _“Know of anything that can kill a vampire without staking it or chopping its head off?”_   He hit send then shoved the phone back in his pocket.

He didn’t expect an answer for at least twelve hours, so he was surprised when his phone vibrated.  He pulled it out.  _“Is this you flirting now or testing my weaknesses?”_

Dick rolled his eyes. _“Neither.  Just answer the question.”_

Dick stared down at his phone, impatiently, as an ellipsis appeared, indicating Nix was typing.  _“No.”_   Then a moment later: _“Why?”_

_“Because someone killed a vampire here in the middle of the night and dumped its body in my yard.  Most of his bones had been broken.”_

_“That’s…odd.  And concerning.”_

_“Our thoughts exactly.”_ Dick paused, brows furrowing.  _“I didn’t expect a response so quick.  Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”_

_“I like to stay up late, remember?  And anyway, there’s this troublesome red-head that’s got me up at all hours with worry.”_

Dick couldn’t help the smirk, which he immediately tried to kill.  _“Go to sleep, Nix.”_   Dick slipped his phone back into his pocket and returned to the living room.  He realized Lip was done talking.  “So, what did Harry have to say?”

“He was just as confused as us,” Lip said, collapsing on the couch and running a hand down his exhausted face.  “Said he was gonna try to get in touch with his contact again today.  Apparently the guy is…difficult…to find unless he wants to be found.  In the meantime, he told us to stay inside and just wait it out.  He’s got Webster pouring through the library as we speak.”

Dick frowned.  “I hate this.  Not having answers.  Being…stuck, like this.”

“Yeah.  Me, too.”  Lip muttered.  “But hopefully Harry has some answers for us soon.”

Dick nodded and folded himself into his recliner, his head pounding from lack of sleep and stress.  He’d just closed his eyes, content to nap for a bit, when his phone vibrated once more.  He pulled it out and stared for a long moment.  _“Be safe.”_ His heart gave a strange, sluggish leap and his stomach fluttered.  He shoved the phone back into his pocket and fell determinedly to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love--please let me know what you think! Also, feel free to come find me on tumblr. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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